Hall of Fame: Tom Malloy '73

Tom Malloy ’73 remembers watching Marist baseball games when he was just in grade school and knowing that he wanted to do that someday. That he did, and with unparalleled success.

Tom was an outstanding two-sport athlete, performing at a high level in baseball and basketball. He was a starter at each level in baseball all four years, playing primarily shortstop and second base. Not just a good defenseman, Tom added to the program success with solid hitting and base running. A team captain his senior year, he helped the Marist baseball team win its first conference title. They were also division champs.

The winter season meant he would be found on the basketball court helping the Marist. He excelled on the hardwood as the starting point guard all four years at Marist. Tom showed his leadership on the court as he often sacrificed his own scoring to set the table for his teammates. He led the team in steals and assists. He was co-captain his senior year and the team captured the school’s first East Suburban Catholic Conference title.

He credits Coach Ed Molitor for teaching him the value of hard work and the dedication it takes to become a better player. And Coach Molitor said that Tom was a “young man with tremendous character and integrity. [He] was a coach’s dream: hardworking, dependable, and fiercely competitive. He was the consummate teammate and a selfless leader in his role as co-captain.”

Tom was recruited to play for St. Xavier University where he continued to shine on baseball field. He racked up wins, records, and accolades, including being a nationally ranked player during his four years.

Malloy said what he learned from coaches and being an athlete applies to any sport and helped him during his own 37-year high school baseball-coaching career. He spent 34 of those years coaching baseball at Hinsdale South, where he taught social studies and also helped in the basketball and cross country programs.

“Marist was a wondering academic place also for me,” Malloy said. “It made you work harder. It prepared me for college and for teaching. It was a stepping stone in right direction.”

Tom and Mary Pat, his wife of 38 years, live in LaGrange. They have two sons, Ryan and Dan.

The mission of Marist High School as a Roman Catholic, coed high school, is to make Jesus Christ known and loved in the Marist Brothers' tradition, while preparing students for higher education and life.